FROM AUBURN TO THE CANYON: THE HISTORY OF CANYONS 100K BY UTMB

Origins

Canyons 100K history begins in 2015, when the Canyons 100K by UTMB started as the Canyons Endurance Runs, founded and directed by Chaz Sheya in Auburn, California. Auburn sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills and holds a position as the endurance capital of the United States, driven largely by its role as the finish city of the Western States 100. Sheya's event used the same Western States Trail to build a separate 100-kilometer race with its own competitive identity.

The course starts at the China Wall Trailhead and finishes in downtown Auburn, covering 100 kilometers with approximately 3,750 meters of elevation gain and 5,200 meters of descent. The route follows the North Fork of the American River through canyon terrain that includes wooden bridges, Gold Rush-era settlements, and the historic No Hands Bridge. Key sections include Devil's Thumb, Michigan Bluff, Volcano Canyon, Foresthill, and the Confluence Trail before the final push to Auburn.

The First Editions

The inaugural 2015 edition established the race's identity immediately. Rob Krar won the men's 100K, and Magdalena Boulet won the women's race. Eighty-four runners finished the 100K distance out of 134 starters, a completion rate that reflected the seriousness of the terrain. Sheya had previously launched a 50K distance a year earlier, and the 100K was built on that foundation.

The race held its early editions in late April and early May, timing that would remain consistent across subsequent years. The event drew runners primarily from the California trail community in its first two seasons, but word spread quickly given the course's reputation. The Western States Trail is one of the most discussed pieces of running terrain in the country, and a race that used it for a standalone 100K created a natural draw.

The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with most major trail running events that year. The race returned in 2021 with a full field and its profile intact.

The UTMB Connection

In 2022, the race joined the inaugural UTMB World Series as one of 25 events worldwide. The UTMB World Series was a structure created by the organization behind the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in Chamonix, France, designed to create a global qualifying network for the flagship race. Joining in the first season placed Canyons among the founding members of that network.

The race was subsequently elevated to UTMB World Series Major status, becoming the first Major held in the United States. Majors award double Running Stones to finishers compared to standard World Series events. For the 100K specifically, finishers earn six Running Stones — twice the standard allocation — which are used in the lottery for the UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix. That elevation placed Canyons 100K alongside Majors in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region as one of the highest-tier qualifiers outside Chamonix itself.

Separately, the race functions as a Golden Ticket qualifier for the Western States 100. The top three men and women in the 100K earn direct entry to Western States without going through the lottery. This dual-qualification status, for both UTMB and Western States, gives the race an unusual position on the trail running calendar. A strong performance at Canyons can unlock two of the most coveted starts in the sport.

Early Editions

The race attracted competitive fields from its first editions. Beth Pascall of the United Kingdom won the women's race in 2021 in 10:01:55, establishing the event's credibility with elite international runners on terrain often associated with American specialists. Anthony Costales won the men's race that year in 9:11:40, which was the course record at the time.

The 2022 edition, the first under the UTMB World Series banner, brought a new level of attention. Adam Peterman won the men's race in 8:31:58, taking nearly 40 minutes off the men's course record. Jazmine Lowther won the women's race in 10:01:54, also setting a course record. The scale of those improvements reflected both deeper competition and improved conditions.

The Course Record Era

Ida Nilsson of Sweden won the women's race in 2023. Cole Watson won the men's race that year in 8:34:39.

Rod Farvard won the men's race in 2024. Katie Schide of the United States won the women's race in 2024 in 9:10:10, setting the current women's course record and cutting nearly 50 minutes off Lowther's previous mark. Schide won the UTMB in Chamonix later the same year, confirming her position among the top women in global trail running.

Francesco Puppi of Italy won the 2025 men's race in 8:04:36, setting the current men's course record and becoming the first man to finish under 8:10 on the course. Emily Hawgood of Zimbabwe won the 2025 women's race in 9:46:44.

The Course in Detail

The route from China Wall Trailhead to downtown Auburn does not follow a simple point-to-point line. Runners descend into the canyon before ascending the Western States Trail toward Deadwood. From there, the course continues to the Swinging Bridge, a suspension crossing over the North Fork American River at the bottom of a steep canyon. The climb out of Swinging Bridge to Devil's Thumb is one of the most recognizable sections on the Western States Trail — a sustained ascent that gains significant elevation in a short horizontal distance.

From Devil's Thumb, runners traverse through Michigan Bluff, a Gold Rush-era mining settlement that still has a small permanent population. The Volcano Canyon section follows, a technical descent into and out of a side drainage before Foresthill. Foresthill is the largest aid station on the Western States 100 course, and it holds the same function at Canyons — a crew-accessible point where runners regroup before the canyon sections that follow.

After Foresthill, the course drops to the American River on the Cal Street descent and picks up the Confluence Trail, which runs along the river before arriving at No Hands Bridge, a historic railroad bridge that now carries only foot traffic. The final miles from No Hands Bridge into Auburn follow the trail to Robie Point and then descend into downtown.

The total descent over 100 kilometers exceeds the gain by roughly 1,400 meters, which places significant stress on the quadriceps through the canyon sections. Runners who arrive at Foresthill in a conservative position often move well in the final 30 kilometers, while those who overextend on the descents before Michigan Bluff typically slow in the canyon sections.

Weather and Spring Conditions

The race runs in late April, which places it in a period of significant weather variability for the Sierra Nevada foothills. Temperatures at the China Wall start can be in the low 40s Fahrenheit at predawn, while the canyon floors can reach into the 70s by afternoon. The temperature differential across the course in a single race day can exceed 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spring precipitation is common. The 2025 edition saw cold temperatures and rain that prompted organizers to mandate cold-weather kit for all starters. The trail from Devil's Thumb through Michigan Bluff changes character in wet conditions — the clay soil becomes slick and the wooden bridges require attention.

The timing in the spring calendar is intentional. Canyons runs several weeks before Western States in late June, which means the canyon temperatures at race time are not yet at their summer peak. Runners using Canyons as a Western States qualifier get a preview of sections of the same trail under moderate conditions.

Auburn: The Trail Running Town

The race finishes in downtown Auburn, a city of approximately 14,000 residents in Placer County. Auburn has positioned itself specifically around endurance sport. The Tevis Cup, a 100-mile equestrian endurance ride, has used the same general trail corridor since 1955 and was the direct precursor to the Western States 100 — Gordy Ainsleigh completed the Tevis course on foot in 1974, which established the proof of concept for a 100-mile foot race on that terrain.

The Western States 100 finishes at the Placer High School track in Auburn. The combination of that civic finish tradition and the deep familiarity with endurance sport makes Auburn an unusual venue. Local residents are accustomed to runners in various states of exhaustion moving through their downtown. The Auburn State Recreation Area encompasses more than 40 miles of trail along the American River canyon system, and the Western States Trail is woven through it.

Western States History

The North Fork American River Canyon has its own history in endurance sport. The canyon corridor was part of the route used by Pony Express riders and Gold Rush prospectors in the 19th century. The Western States Trail itself follows historic paths. The Gold Rush settlements that runners pass through, including Michigan Bluff, were active mining camps in the 1850s.

For runners who know the Western States 100 course, parts of Canyons 100K will be familiar. The shared trail sections create a direct comparison between 100-mile performances and 100-kilometer times on the same ground. That connection gives Canyons a specificity of place that purpose-built race courses cannot replicate.

2026 and the Race's Trajectory

The 2026 edition of Canyons 100K by UTMB is scheduled for April 25. The race has grown from a regional California ultra into a globally recognized qualifier in 11 years. Its position as the only UTMB World Series Major in the United States means it draws runners who would otherwise not visit the American River Canyon.

The men's course record of 8:04:36, set by Francesco Puppi in 2025, placed the benchmark under 8:10 for the first time. The women's record of 9:10:10, set by Katie Schide in 2024, stands as one of the fastest times run on the Western States Trail at the 100-kilometer distance. Both marks will attract competitors looking for the kind of performance that opens doors at both UTMB and Western States.

That trajectory defines the Canyons 100K history: the race that Chaz Sheya founded in 2015 as a regional endurance event now occupies a position in the global trail calendar that its original format could not have anticipated. The Western States Trail remains the same. What surrounds it — including the Canyons 100K and the broader UTMB World Series — has changed substantially.